Good website for tracking aircraft

[GeorgePerry]

My wife likes to use this to track my flights...It's a really good website with lots of free features.  Most of you will already know about it but for those who don't...

http://flightaware.com/live/

[RobertoTohme]

George,

I have been using it to track my 135 planes for a while, and it works pretty good; I have it set up to send notices to my blackberry everytime one of our planes files, takes off, lands or diverts.

On the other hand, I bet there'll be a few pilots that don't want this information to fall in the hands of their wives!  I know a few of them...

[GeorgePerry]

How did your mtg with the folks in Kerrville go?

[RobertoTohme]

Quote: GeorgePerry

How did your mtg with the folks in Kerrville go?

[mooniac227]

I like flightaware, but I use Advocate Tax and they highly encouraged me to opt my plane out of that system.  If the wife can track you so can big brother.  It would be just one more "tool" they have to use should they decide to audit your business use of the aircraft.  I got a SPOT - www.findmespot.com.  I give the password out to people that I want to see my flights.  The IRS isn't on that list!

The SPOT is not as cool as flightaware and you have to remember to turn it on, but it does the job if you don't forget.  It also doubles as a personal locator beacon in case of an emergency.

[N57039]

Does Advocate Tax honestly believe that the IRS couldn't get this info from the FAA even if it was opted out of the public system? I would find that hard to believe.

[mooniac227]

I asked the same question.  Apparently, if you opt out of the system, the data is not stored.  They researched it and wrote a paper on it.  It is posted on their website so I don't think I'm sharing anything that is something you "get" as a subscriber.  Here's the paper:

http://www.advocatetax.com/images/userfiles/How%20to%20Preserve%20the%20Confidentiality%20of%20Your%20Flights%202.pdf

[mooniac58]

Sigh.  This country feels less free every year.

[Cruiser]

Quote: mooniac227

I asked the same question.  Apparently, if you opt out of the system, the data is not stored.  They researched it and wrote a paper on it.  It is posted on their website so I don't think I'm sharing anything that is something you "get" as a subscriber.  Here's the paper:

http://www.advocatetax.com/images/userfiles/How%20to%20Preserve%20the%20Confidentiality%20of%20Your%20Flights%202.pdf

[mooniac227]

Quote: Cruiser

 sounds more like a business issue. If the IRS wanted your flight records they could just ask for them. Besides the FAA as a complete set.

[231Pilot]

I use Flightaware and it is pretty accurate most of the time.  However, sometimes the flight shows as originating 20 or 30 miles into the route of flight, and sometimes it shows as ending when IFR is cancelled. Some flights never make it onto the website even though they are activated IFR plans, and some show from start to finish with only VFR flight following (no filed flight plan).  The iPhone app is pretty good too, but has the same accuracy issues.